January 21, 2010 News Read > Hawaii Free Press

Hawaii Daily News Read

Thursday, January 21, 2010

January 21, 2010 News Read
By Andrew Walden @ 1:50 PM :: 9402 Views

Boylan: Patient Aiona Ready To Lead

This year Republican Duke Aiona seeks to follow in the footsteps of Democrats Ariyoshi, Waihee and Cayetano. He’s hired the political consultant who developed Gov. Linda Lingle’s successful campaigns. He printed bumper stickers and he’s raised money. As election year 2010 begins, Aiona’s going out to sell the voters….

We need to be talking about the economy, jobs and education. That’s what I’ll be talking about.”

Aiona has long been opposed to same-sex marriage. “I’m not in favor of gay marriage, but I’ve never said I was not in favor of civil rights for everyone. After all, I’m a man of color. I understand the importance of protecting civil rights.

Djou Hopeful In Wake Of GOP Win In Mass.

"We've had enough of multibillion-dollar budget deficits and multibillion-dollar stimulus packages that don't work in Hawaii. Just as we did in Massachusetts, I think it's going to send a profound statement to the nation," Djou said….

Djou said he has raised nearly $400,000 for the campaign so far. Case said he's raised about half that, around $200,000….

Djou said this is the next special congressional election in the nation and it will garner national attention, especially because it is in the president's home state of Hawaii….

GOP Senate victory boosts hope for Djou's campaign

"There is no doubt that Colleen Hanabusa and Ed Case woke up in fear today as they realize that, on Election Day, they will pay the price for supporting the Obama-Pelosi big-government, tax-and-spend agenda," Joanna Burgos, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in an e-mailed statement.

National media also weighed in, with one calling Djou "the next potential Scott Brown."

"Djou ... was quick to recognize the Massachusetts-on-the-Pacific scenario and shot out a statement congratulating Brown while at the same time outlining the parallels to his own long shot race," Politico blogger Charles Mahtesian wrote yesterday.

For his part, Djou said he would take a cue from Brown's campaign and work to get his message out touting fiscal responsibility, smaller government and killing the current health care reform measure that he says will not work.

ADV: Mass. win elates Island GOP--Djou suggests voters could stage similar upset in Obama's home state

`This is my truck'

Democrat DePledge explains that Massachusetts voters voted GOP because they are all drunk. This is good. Hopefully Democrats and their media operatives will stay this arrogant until Nov 2.

BTW, if you’d like to see Scott Brown’s truck commercial, it is here >>> VIDEOS: Scott Brown shows Republicans how to win in “liberal” states

Isles' senators stay committed to Akaka Bill

The election of Scott Brown on Tuesday to replace the late Sen. Ted Kennedy adds another vote to the Republican minority, which has generally aligned itself against the bill.

The Akaka Bill, which would set up the framework to organize a native Hawaiian government, was blocked by the threat of a Republican filibuster in 2007.

And most of the bills passed by the Senate recently have required 60-vote thresholds to override Republican efforts to keep measures from coming to the Senate floor for a full vote.

However, Akaka's office noted yesterday that even before Brown's election, the bill enjoyed the support of all Democrats and Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska….

Now Akaka Bill opponents see the tide turning in their favor with the election of Brown.

"It's definitely a game-changer as far as national politics and rightly so," said Republican state Sen. Fred Hemmings.

Hemmings said the federal government has been intruding too much into states' rights.

Hemmings favors establishing a Hawaiian trust that would include the state Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

Much work ahead, Isle lawmakers say (Guard your wallet!)

State House Speaker Calvin Say challenged lawmakers today to be "unselfish" in their work as they prepare to deal with a $1.2 billion state budget deficit. (Bet they don’t rescind their pay hike.)

"If the majority party's goal today was to show the public we understand their pain and tough financial straits, rather than cancel our celebration, we should pledge that we will not increase taxes," Slom said.

SB: State Legislature opens session under budget cloud

"If you want more or better public services or facilities, be prepared to pay for them. "Conversely, if you do not want to pay more taxes or fees, be prepared to receive less public services," Say said.

ADV: House and Senate leaders urge collaboration to cope with the state's $1.2B deficit

Shirokiya to lay off 50 due to threat of Unemp Comp Tax hike

It is not mentioned in the article but Lynne Finnegan has attributed the cut to the upcoming Unemployment Comp tax hike.

SB: DOE stays in the race

Ten other states dropped out of the contest for a share of the $4.35 billion before Tuesday's application deadline, some cowed by the level of reform demanded or resisting the feds' prodding to support charter schools and link student achievement with teachers' pay.

Hawaii plodded along, even after a scolding by U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan indicated that furloughing teachers could doom its chances of benefiting from a stimulus program designed to enhance the public school experience….

Kathryn Matayoshi, who is now interim schools superintendent, is realistic about Hawaii's chances in the first round (winners will be announced in April), but insists that the state's prospects should rise substantially in June's second round -- especially if the furloughs that have idled students for so many Fridays end this semester.

(That’s just long enough to fool the legislature into rejecting Lingle’s proposal for DoE to become a State department.)

ADV: Schools chief should have some autonomy (against Constitutional Amendment, no surprise here)

That notion, which would take a constitutional amendment to realize, has the seductive promise of bringing at least some measure of clarity to the management of a public school system riven by discord among the administration, the Board of Education and the Legislature.

And bringing the head of public schools into the inner sanctum of state administration — considering that education consumes the largest portion of the state budget — is a good idea. It would give public schools a seat at the table where spending priorities are hashed out.

But there's a nagging flaw that can't be overlooked.

A superintendent of schools who is appointed by and answerable to the governor would be far less independent. And when the governor's term ends, the superintendent likely would be swept out with the rest of the Cabinet, to be replaced by someone the next administration favors. That's no way to enable continuity for school reform. If the current Department of Education officials launch a program of systemic changes — as they hope to do with the aid of federally funded programs like Race to the Top — it all could be upended by the election cycle and short-term political priorities.

(The Advertiser must think its readers are very stupid. But let’s humor them:

1) Under the current system, DoE sup’ts are being replaced more than once every 8 years. (Le Mahieu (2003), Hamamoto (2009), Matayoshi) therefore the Advertiser's concerns about continuity are an embarrassing joke. Matayoshi would be

2) Continuity of school reform implies that there is some school reform going on. Of course everybody knows this is an insulting joke. But it is actually preparation work for claiming that the Lingle/Abercrombie reform proposal would stop Matayoshi from continuing her ‘reforms’. This is a masquerade which must continue only long enough for the legislature to block the constitutional Amendment.

ALL EXPLAINED HERE >>> Hamamoto's DoE resignation: To block Lingle's constitutional amendment

HSTA names interim executive director

Jim Williams is a former teacher who served as HSTA president in the early 1980s. He replaces Interim Executive Director Dwight Takeno, who left the HSTA at the end of 2009 to return to the University of Hawaii.

Tax dollars could help patch up private roads

Yagong's idea is to allow the council to take up to 20 percent of a district's fuel tax allocation and award it as grants-in-aid to nonprofit community associations to maintain their roads.

Marijuana bills to be introduced

Big isle dopers just thrilled about J Kalani “powdernose” English.